Snap open container having reinforced cover



June 27, 1967 v. 'BWCK, JR 3,327,890

SNAP OPEN CONTAINER HAVING REINFORCED COVER Filed Aug. 24, 1965 Ava/E41 Toe RALPH M aueaxcle, re.

Armeve Vs United States Patent 3,327,890 SNAP (WEN CONTAINER HAVING REINFORCED COVER Ralph V. Burdick, In, Colonial Green, Loudonville, NY. 12211 Filed Aug. 24, 13 65, Ser. No. 482,214 4 Claims. (Cl. 220-43) This invention relates generally to containers wherein are packaged for the most part semi-solid materials containing volatiles, such as shoe polishes, waxes, ointments, creams, paints, and the like.

This invention is described in terms of a container for packaging shoe polishes for simplicity of description, however, it should be recognized that the particular description is not limiting and the container described herein can be used for packaging any product which could normally be contained within a metallic container. The invention is particularly useful where semi-solids are involved.

Containers which are used for packaging shoe polishes and other volatile materials must be designed to maintain a substantially air-tight fit between the cover and the bottom portion. The cover and bottom are formed of resilient material and the cover is generally designed with a depending skirt portion which maintains an air-tight engagement with the wall of the bottom. For snap open action the cover skirt is provided with an arcuate cut away portion whereby downward pressure on the cover directly over the cut away portion effects a rocking of the cover about fulcrum points at the extremities of the cut away portion causing the cover skirt opposite the cut away portion to rise off the bottom sidewall.

Examples of such containers are found in United States Patent 3,067,906 and United States Patent 3,130,857.

Certain difliculties are encountered with containers of this design and of the type disclosed in the above noted patents. One of the difiiculties encountered is the necessity of providing the cover with a minimum material thickness which is capable of resisting the forces which tend to deflect or buckle the cover when force is applied above the arcuate cut away in order to open the container. Since a satisfactory seal between cover and bottom can only be achieved by a tight engagement between cover and bottom resulting in hermetic seal the force applied above the cut away in order to open the container must be sufiicient to enable the opposite side of the cover to move with respect to the sidewall of the bottom. The application of force above the cut away tends to move the cover beneath that force downwardly and effect the fulcrum acthe cover is not sufficiently strong to resist the force imparted there will be a tendency to buckle about its center, resulting in a bowed or arcuate configuration. The cover, under these circumstances will not snap off the bottom. In order to over this defect the manufacturer must provide a relatively thick gauge metal in the cover, or increase the cover depth. A loosening of the fit between cover and bottom will also remedy this situation, however, it represents a decrease in the sealing ability of the container.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a snap open container having a cover of reduced thickness material which will provide a tight seal with the bottom when closed and snap off readily when is opened without cover deformation.

It is further object of this invention to provide a snap open container which is economical in that the thickness of the materials from which the cover is formed can be reduced.

It is another object of this invention to provide in a snap open container an improved fulcrum action.

It is still another object of this invention to reduce container damaging in bulk packaging and thereby reduce the cost of containers to the ultimate consumer.

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It is a further object of this invention to provide a container which will have no raw edges which might cut or injure a user.

A snap open container embodying the invention and the manner of using the same is described herein with references to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view from below of a cover of a snap open container of the type known in the art;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the cover shown in FIG. 1 in buckling condition with the bottom of a container shown in phantom;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in the direction of the arrows as shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side view of a cover constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention with a container bottom shown in phantom;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 with the cover rotated degrees and shown in open condition in phantom lines;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the cover shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line 77 in the direction of the arrows as shown in FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a cover of a snap open container constructed in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the invention.

In FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 a cover 10 of the type known in the art is shown. The cover has a top surface 11 from which skirt 12 depends being joined to top surface 11 by knuckles 13, 14, 15 and 16. The cover skirt 12 is provided with arcuate cut aways at 17 and 18, with cut away 17 eX- tending over a greater portion of the skirt.

The cover 10 must be of relatively thick material or inefficiently sealed, or as is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 a buckling action will result upon application of force A above cut away 17 in an attempt to snap the cover off container bottom 19 which is shown in FIG. 2 in phantorn lines. In addition to the arcuate buckling action shown in FIG. 2 a bowing out of the skirt between the cut aways will result as illustrated in FIG. 3 and indicated by the letter b which indicates the distance between the outer surface of the skirt as actually achieved and phantom line 20 which represents the position of the skirt prior to the application of force A.

As mentioned above, the buckling action illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 can be avoided by increasing the gauge of the metal used in the cover skirt, by decreasing the seal between cover skirt and bottom, or by increasing the depth of the cover. Increasing the thickness of the material or increasing the depth ofthe cover results in an increased cost product. Decreasing the seal results in an ineflicient product. The present practice is to select the least undesirable of the three solutions suggested and to increase the thickness of the metal from which the cover skirt is formed.

I have found that by providing a curl on the cover skirt in the zones wherein the cover has a tendency to buckle will allow for a markedly strengthened cover, achieve a greater sealing capability, and allow for a reduction in the thickness of the material from which the cover is formed. Reducing the thickness of the material from which the cover is formed can result in a container which is less expensive to manufacture but which also has increased sealing capability.

In FIGS. 4 through 7 a cover embodying one form of my invention is shown and indicated by the numeral 21. The top surface of the cover 22 is joined to depending skirt 23 by knuckles 24, 25, 26 and 27 and arcuate cut aways 28 and 29 are provided in the cover skirt. Cut away 28 is larger than cut away 29 as is seen best in FIG. 6.

The embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 through 7 the bottom of the container is shown in phantom and indicated by the numeral 30. The cover skirt 23 has been provided with peripheral curls 31 and 32 between the cut aways 28 and 29. Curls 31 and 32 substantially strengthen the skirt and increase the ability of the cover to resist bending moments upon the application of force B as shown applied in FIG. resulting in the rocking of the cover about the fulcrum points 33 and 34 at the terminations of cut away 28 whereat the ends of curls 31 and 32 engage ledge 35 of bottom portion 30. The cover 21 moves to the position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 5 due to the ability of the cover to resist the bending moments imparted thereto resulting from the provision of curls 31 and 32. It is noted that the zones of the cover which resists the bending moments are the zones above the portions of the skirt which are not cut away since the bending moment is applied above cut away 28. It is necessary, therefore, to strenghten the cover only in the zones thereof where the skirt is not cut away hence the curl is applied to the periphery of the cover skirt in the zones between the cut aways resulting in an intermittent curl. A minimum of cover material is required in such a design to provide a strong cover highly resistant to bending moments and buckling but which can be utilized to provide with the bottom portion of a snap open container an effective seal.

The curl additionally provides a better fulcrum action since the fulcrum points are rounded allowing easier rocking.

If it is desired a cover design of the type illustrated in FIG. 8 may be provided embodying my invention wherein the cover top surface 36 is joined to depending skirt 37 and cut away portions 38 and 39 are provided. The skirt portions between the cut aways are curled at an and 41 in accordance with the teachings of the earlier embodiment, however, in this form of the invention the skirt in the zone of cut aways of 38 and 39 is also curled. The curl at the cut aways is indicated in the figure by the numerals 38 prime and 39 prime. The curling of the cover skirt in the zones of the cut aways is not for purposes of strengthening the cover and therefore can be a less pronouced or smaller curl than that required at 4'0 and 41. Hence a saving in material can be achieved in the embodiment of FIG. 8 in which additionally the possibility of the raw edge of the cut away portions cutting the finger of the user is eliminated and damage of the product in bulk packaging of containers wherein the raw edge can scratch or mar the design on the container is eliminated.

Whereas in the embodiment of FIGS. 4 through 7 an intermittent peripheral curl was applied to the skirt in the embodiment of FIG. 8 a continual skirt curl appears. In the embodiment of FIG. 8 the curl is shown to be less pronounced in the zones of cut aways 23 and 39 although it might be found desirable for manufacturing purposes to provide a curl in the zone of the cut aways identical to the curl in the remaining zones of the skirt. It should be noted, however, in such a design the degree of curl must be determined by the curl necessary in the zones between the cut aways to resist cover bending upon the application of an opening force above cut away 38.

Thus, among others, the several objects in the invention as specifically aforenoted, are achieved. Obviously, numerous changes in construction and rearrangement of parts might be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a container of the character described, adapted for use in containing semi-solid material such as shoe polish and the like, which comprises a bottom portion having outwardly directed flange means and a snap-01f type of hermetically sealable cover therefor: said cover portion having a top surface, a downwardly extending skirt joined to said top surface at the periphery thereof, said skirt terminating in two oppositely disposed peripheral edge sections, said sections being separated by areas of said skirt that are cut out from the edge thereof, and terminating above said flange means when said cover is closed over said bottom, said peripheral edge sections being formed with bending resistant curled edges, whereby downward pressure on said peripheral edge above said cut out will unseat the same as the ends of said straight edge sections adjacent said out out are pivoted against said flange means.

2. A box in accordance with claim 1 in which said cover and bottom portions are circular.

3. A box in accordance with claim 2 in which the bending resistant curled edges are formed by an outwardly directed curl with the edge turned outwardly, upwardly and inwardly forward said skirt.

4. A box in accordance with claim 3 in which the edges of said skirt in the Zone of said cut ovets are also curled.

No references cited.

T. E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

J. B. MARBERT, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A CONTAINER OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, ADAPTED FOR USE IN CONTAINING SEMI-SOLID MATERIAL SUCH AS SHOE POLISH AND THE LIKE, WHICH COMPRISES A BOTTOM PORTION HAVING OUTWARDLY DIRECTED FLANGE MEANS AND A SNAP-OFF TYPE OF HERMETICALLY SEALABLE COVER THEREFORE: SAID COVER PORTION HAVING A TOP SURFACE, DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING SKIRT JOINED TO SAID TOP SURFACE AT THE PERIPHERY THEREOF, SAID SKIRT TERMINATING IN TWO OPPOSITELY DISPOSED PERIPHERAL EDGE SECTIONS, SAID SECTIONS BEING SEPARATED BY AREAS OF SAID SKIRT THAT ARE CUT OUT FROM THE EDGE THEREOF, AND TERMINATING ABOVE SAID FLANGE MEANS WHEN SAID COVER IS CLOSED OVER SAID BOTTOM, SAID PERIPHERAL EDGE SECTIONS 